JUDGE’S COMMENTS

Since we are now going into the primary campaign period, these county judge articles will be discontinued from December through the elections.

I’ll review the budget

Webudgetedtocollect$6.37 million in ad valorem taxes and have actually collected $6.56 million YTD, 3% over budget.

We’ve had $3.22 million in revenue from other sources which is slightly over budget. By year’s end we’ve projected to have total general fund revenue of some $10.4 million vs. a budget of $10.2 million or about $200,000 more revenue than budget.

The sheriff’s department will have taken in over $400,000 from housing Coryell County inmates in our county jail; Deputies, DPS officers, and JP courts will have been responsible for over $400,000 in traffic fines being taken in for 2013; some $300,000 in fines and fees will be collected in county court; and over $1.5 million in sales tax will be received by the county ($1.4 million was budgeted for 2013).

The big news is that the Cotton murder case was settled without actually going to trial. The final costs are not actually in and paid but will be significantly less than expected.

Through October we had spent $8.5 million which was 4.6% under prorated budget without reserves.

My year end projections including anticipated costs of the trial is that we will end the year with expenditures of some $10.25 million which will be 3% under budget and about $150,000 less than projected 2013 revenues.

This means that we should have some $150,000 to add to our current general fund reserves of $655,000 which means we will begin 2014 with about $800,000 in reserves which is very good news.

Does this mean that the county staff reductions will be lifted, will pay increases be reinstituted, what about the tax increase? Next week’s article will be the last one before the election. I’ll address some of these questions at that time after I’ve had a little time to consider them.